Smash the Mirror
by Tuxedo Stan
Summary: Kakashi has alway been seen as almost a reflection of his father, Sakumo, a village hero. But after 'the accident,' Kakashi begins to struggle to be recognised as his own person. And will detaching himself from his friends save his future? !ON HOLD!
1. I am not Sakumo

"Kakashi, please talk to me. Kakashi!"

I ignored my father just like I had been doing for the past month. Since the accident.

"Mom, I'm going out!" I called. She came out of the kitchen and looked towards dad.

"Kakashi…" She sighed.

I frowned when I saw that she was unhappy, and clearly hasn't gotten much sleep lately. "What?"

"Could you make it quick? I need to talk to you about something."

"I'll try," I lied. "I want to get some training done today."

Dad seemed to perk up. "I can help you with that!"

"Well, I'll be back. Don't worry." I quickly jogged out the door and down the street until I came to the ninja academy. _Things were so simple back then._ I thought and looked into the window, trying to see what the students were learning about today. _Hm. Transformation jutsu. Simple stuff_. One by one, they all tried to transform into Lord Hokage. Most of them were starting to get it, but one kid with black spiky hair and orange goggles seemed to be struggling. When he turned to go back to his seat, I saw the Uchiha crest on his back. "HAH!" I laughed and muttered, "Stupid failure. And I thought the Uchihas were supposed to be great."

"Hey!" One of the senseis had seen me and come outside. "Aren't you Sakumo's kid?"

I glared at him. "Why do you care?"

He smirked. "Well, you look just like him. Is that the only way you resemble him? Hatake?"

That. Hurt. "Shut up." I muttered. I was so tired of people telling me how much I looked like dad. It hadn't occurred to me that they took it another way too.

"You're a softie, just like your dad. That it? Are you crying?" I tried to ignore him by watching the kids inside the class talking to each other. All except the Uchiha, who was looking at me, almost in admiration.

Then I saw my reflection in the window. _I really DO look like dad even with my mask on,_ I thought. "I'm leaving! Is that what you want?"

Down the road was the ramen stand, somewhere I was usually welcome. I ducked away from anyone that knew me or dad on my way.

"Kakashi!" Teuchi cried when I sat down on a stool. I was the only one there.

"Hm?"

"We have good news!" Said his wife, Tomoko, as she came in from the back room.

"Really? What is it?"

They smiled at each other and then turned to me. "We're having a baby!"

"Oh, that's great! Congratulations!" I was happy for them. They had always been nice to me, and they deserved to have a child, which I knew they've wanted for a long time.

"So, would you like some ramen? On the house!" Teuchi smiled widely at me.

"Sure, thanks." I scratched the back of my head and adjusted my headband. Jiraiya sat down next to me.

"Hey," He nodded over at me.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"How's your dad?"

I wheeled around in my seat to face him. "All of you think that it's funny, don't you?! Have you ever considered the fact that maybe I'm just as disappointed in him as the rest of you?!"

He stared at me with his mouth half open. "It was just a question. I honestly wanted to know how he is."

"Oh," I shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Probably pretty bad. Whatever. He deserves it."

Jiraiya frowned at me. "Honestly? You really think that?"

Teuchi placed my ramen in front of me.

I pulled down my mask and waited for his reaction.

"Whoa… you really look like Sakumo. And it's hard to get him to take his mask off, but I've seen him." Right on. Just like everyone else.

"Just let me eat." The ramen was delicious, as always, and lucky for me he felt like listening for once. "Thanks, Teuchi," I called when I was finished. "Jiraiya."

"Saku-" He stopped and instantly knew he had made a mistake. "I- I mean,"

"I. Am. Not. Sakumo." I spat slowly. "I. Am. Kakashi." And then I turned, and not knowing where else to go, I returned to the academy. It was a break time, and some of the students were outside. The Uchiha from before was practicing his transformation jutsu. When he saw me, he came running over.

"Kakashi!" He cried. "I can't believe I get to meet you!"  
"Huh? How old are you."

"Seven. Same as you! I've heard all about you!" Excitement lit up his eyes. "One day, I'll catch up to you! Just you wait!"

"Sure. What's your name?"

"Obito. Obito Uchiha."

"Okay, Obito. You and me… we're rivals now. If you want to beat me, we have to be. I won't make it easy for you. Remember that."

Saying no more, I slowly walked away and smiled. I had made my first friend.


	2. I am Kakashi

I was strangely happy when I realized that I had a friend. _I guess I can be a normal kid, too._

"Kakashi!" I heard, and felt something fall onto my back. I turned my head and saw a little pug with his head on my shoulder.

"Pakkun!" I cried, and took my puppy into my arms. "Hey, boy! What's up?"

"Kakashi!" He barked again, and wagged his tail.

I laughed. "You've gotta learn some more words." Pakkun hopped onto the ground and started to follow me. "So, where do you wanna go? We could go to the beach, the lake, the bookstore…"

He jumped up and swatted my leg at that last suggestion.

"Okay, the bookstore it is. C'mon, boy!" Pakkun barked happily and ran ahead to the store. I jogged over to him and scooped him up. "Sshh! You can't let Fumio know that you're with me. Dogs aren't allowed in here." Luckily, he was only two months old, and was small enough to fit underneath my shirt.

"Kakashi." Fumio nodded at me.

I fought back a giggle when Pakkun twisted around. "Hey, Fumio. Uh, I'll be back here." I hurried all the way to the back of the store and pulled out my shirt.

Pakkun curled up in a corner and looked up at me.

"Yeah, you can stay there. I'll be right back, I just gotta go get a book." I walked over to a shelf near the front of the room, the history section. I picked out a book about the founding of Konoha. I'd read it before, but it was interesting. I was about to go back to Pakkun to read, but Fumio stopped me.

"This isn't a library, Kakashi. Are you going to buy that or not?"

That startled me. I'd been hanging out at the book store since I learned to read. He always welcomed me, and encouraged my love of reading. But then again, I hadn't been there for about… a month. "Oh. I'll buy it." I pulled the money out of my pocket and headed over to the counter.

"Your mother was in here a few minutes ago," He said when he took money. "She wants to talk to you."

"Sure. I'll be home soon." When I sat down next to Pakkun again, I opened the book but couldn't get into it. "Ah, Pakkun. I hate lying to mom, but…" I yawned. "I hate being at home with dad. It's just… It's just…" I yawned again and closed my eyes.

"Kakashi! KAKASHI!"

"Ow!" Someone was kicking me in the stomach. I heard Pakkun whining a few feet away from me. "What? Where am I…"

"You're in the bookstore, Kakashi. You fell asleep. WITH YOUR DOG!" Fumio yelled.

"Jeez, sorry!" I stumbled onto my feet. "I'll leave! I'm going, I'm going!"

"You have NO respect for the rules! YOU"RE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!" When I heard that, I froze in the doorway.

He kicked me out onto the street. All the people going by stopped and stared at me. Some of them laughed, but one of them looked at me with concern. He came closer to me, and Pakkun jumped in front of me and started to growl fiercely at him. Then I recognized who it was.

"Pakkun! Down!"

"Are you okay, kid?"

"I'm fine, Minato." I stood up and mumbled, ignoring the blond man's face.

"Then why are you crying?"

It was an honest question, but something inside me snapped. "I'm not. I haven't cried since I was…" I was sidetracked now, with everyone in my head. Pakkun whimpered and leaned against my leg.

The sensei from the academy. Jiraiya. Fumio. They had all compared me to my father. It seemed like all they had seen in me. And then there was Minato, Teuchi. And Obito. They had all recognized me as Kakashi. But did they really?

I couldn't take it anymore. Sakumo. Kakashi. Was there even a difference?

"I HATE YOU, DAD!" I screamed. "I REALLY DO!" Everyone stared at me. Pakkun backed away and I took off towards home. When I opened the door, it was dark. Mom was sobbing hysterically on the floor. "M-mom? What?"

She pointed weakly towards her and dad's bedroom, shaking. And didn't speak.

So I slowly stepped towards the door, which was slightly open. "What?!"

When I saw what was there, I sucked in a breath.

It was dad. Sprawled on the ground, blood everywhere, with a sword through his stomach.

He had killed himself.

And it was my fault. This was what mom was trying to prevent. She wanted to talk some sense into me, because my hate was what really killed him.

"This," I growled. "Will not be me." I stalked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. I stared into my reflection. "I am not Sakumo. I. Am. KAKASHI!" I screamed, and slammed my fist into the mirror, smashing it to pieces, and shattering the reflection of my father. Forever.


	3. Who's Sorry Now?

It wasn't until exactly a year later that I realized what I had done.

I was sitting at the table in the kitchen, poking my ramen around. Even though I hadn't exactly been saddened by my father's death, the anniversary was still depressing. Mom was in her room, crying into her pillows.

November third was not a fun day in the Hatake household.

After a while, I couldn't take her crying anymore. I hated to see her upset. So I shoved away from the table and trudged into her room. "Mom," I said softly, "are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh, Kakashi! Why did he have to-" She started to sob hysterically.

"I know you're upset, but you've just gotta let it go. It was better for Konoha. It was better for everyone. For you, for him, for me…" I tried to reason with her, but she didn't react the way I expected.

"How can you say that?! He was your father! And he loved you more than anything else! He was so hurt when he saw how upset he made you…"

"What?" My mind went numb and I froze when I heard her say that. I couldn't handle it.

Then all of a sudden I was standing in a field in the middle of nowhere. Strange. But there was something even stranger.

My father was standing directly in front of me.

"Dad?" I whispered. "Is that you?"

He smiled down at me from under his mask. I had forgotten how tall he was. "Ah, Kakashi. I've missed you. I only wish you could say the same about me."

I looked away from him. "Mom misses you a lot."

"Yes, I know. It saddens me to see her so upset. However, you seem fine. I'm glad that you're happy."

"Dad, you know I loved you. You're my dad."

"You used to. But after the accident, you turned against me like everyone else. Do you know how it feels when your own son doesn't even acknowledge the fact that you exist?"

"Dad," I bit my lip when I felt tears coming to my eyes.

"You killed me Kakashi. Your hatred towards me made it unbearable to live."

His words ripped through me like a kunai knife through paper. Easily. And it left a scar that would stay with me for the rest of my life.

"Dad, I didn't mean to," I sobbed. "I miss you. I do!"

"No Kakashi. Live with the guilt. But know I love you. And I always have."

He suddenly began to change, becoming a little more muscular, his hair becoming shorter, losing his long ponytail. At first I thought it was a younger him, the one I had seen in the pictures. But then I knew who this was.

It was me. I really was going to turn out just like him.

"NO! I WON'T TURN OUT LIKE YOU!" I screamed. "I WON'T! YOU'LL SEE!" But I was slipping away now. I could hear my mom. I didn't want to wake up, to face the future. But I had to.

"Kakashi? Kakashi? Wake up! Please!" She cried.

"Mom… mom… Mom! Stop hitting me. I'm fine! Jeez, calm down!" I rubbed my head and sat up.

"Are you okay, honey? That was scary…"

"Yeah, I'm fine." But I was starting to tear up again. "I've just gotta, um, I dunno, um, yeah, I… oh mom, it's all my fault!" I broke down crying again and ran into my room and locked the door. Pakkun started whining and started smacking my ankle.

"Kakashi! What's wrong?"

"It was all my fault dad died! I killed him!"

"No, you didn't."

"Then how come he told me?! I just saw him and he told me that it was my fault…"

"That wasn't him, silly! That was your imagination! You must've suddenly started to think that, and only saw an illusion. I think you passed out."

I stopped crying to look at him. "You really think so?"

"Of course. He wouldn't do that to you, just tell you. He cared about you." He looked up at me with his cute little face and scratched himself behind his ears.

I processed what he said for a few minutes, then smiled and picked him up. "I guess. But still…" I sighed. "I can't help feeling a _little_ guilty. And I still feel a little like it was my fault."

Pakkun wagged his tail and licked my face. "But you promise to try to be happy, right?"

"Right. So now… I guess I should go with mom… just stay here, boy. You just sleep." He wagged his tail at me again when I put him down. When I left the room, I closed the door behind me. Then I turned and exited the apartment. I couldn't look at mom right now.

I started to run as fast as I could, to the beach, because Pakkun hadn't cheered me up at all.

He had only made it worse.

And now that I looked back a year, I realized how right I had been. That it WAS my fault and no one would ever be able to change that. But I could get all of my anger now and only have to focus on making mom happy again, and then myself. I didn't have to ruin my life over someone who didn't exist anymore.

So when I got to the beach, when no one was around, I balled my hand up into a fist, pulled back, and punched the ground as hard as I could. The sand absorbed the shock, which of course was the whole point of going to the beach in the first place.

Because I would never, ever, cause anyone I cared about harm again. By not letting myself become close to my comrades. Not like dad did.

"From now on," I growled. "The laws are what matter. I will never betray my village. I will not turn out like dad. Even if it means not falling in love, I will always obey the laws of Konoha."

Unfortunately for my only friend, I couldn't see into the future.


	4. Hurting and Normal Again

"C'mon, Kakashi! What's up? Why won't you talk to me?"

"Obito, go away." He was following me around like a lost puppy.

"No. You need to answer me! I'm not gonna leave you alone until you talk to me!"

I tried to wave him away. "You won't understand. It wouldn't matter to you."

"You know it would. We've been friends since we were seven. That's five years. So I don't get why you've been such a jerk to me since we got put onto the same team! I care about you! I'll listen to whatever you'll say. I'm your friend."

I couldn't take it anymore. It was really hurting to listen to him talk like that. I spun around and started screaming at him, "NO! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! I DON'T LIKE YOU ANYMORE! I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND! YOU STUPID FAILURE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I started running away, and then looked back at him, just standing there, staring at me and starting to cry. _It hurts now, _I told myself,_ but it'll be better for both of us in the end. If only dad could've realized that you can't get close to people, it just can't work…_

I didn't know where I was going now. I didn't care. I just had to get away.

"Kakashi, you need a haircut," Mom said to me six months later while I was eating my bacon.

"What?"

"Your hair is getting long. You should cut it."

"Uh, mom? Last time I checked, you seemed to be quite fond of men with long hair." I laughed when she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Only on him. Otherwise… ew. Just ew. Besides, it doesn't really work on you."

"Oh, is that what you think? I bet lots of girls think I look perfectly fine."

She crossed her arms and gave me a face. "Huh. Well, they don't know how it looks with your face. If they could see your face, you would be an even bigger hit with the ladies then you are now."

"But I don't wanna be a ladies man," I whined.

Mom laughed and gave me a hug. "You got your looks from your dad. Trust me. You think I married him just so we could talk?"

"Ew!" I cried. "Can we end this conversation?!"

"Well how do you think you got here?"

I got up and ran to the door. "I think I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry." I pulled my sandals on along with my mask.

"Okay, fine. But hey, you know I'm proud of you, right? My little man."

"I'm not little. And you know it could be at least a few days 'til I get back, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I'll miss you, Kakashi."

"I'll miss you too, Mom. Bye, love you." I picked up my back pack and rushed down the hallway.

A couple of months ago, Mom couldn't talk about Dad without crying, but now she didn't even flinch. She was normal again.

And today, I was a jounin. And as my reward, I'm leading my team in a mission. Before I even knew what it was, I had a feeling it wasn't gonna turn out good.


	5. Broken

I arrived at the meeting place fifteen minutes early.

"Hey, Kakashi!" Rin came up behind me, giggling. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," I muttered passively. "Uh, where's sensei?"

She shrugged and smiled. "Who knows? You know, since we're al- oh." Her face fell. "Here he comes." She sighed and gestured over to the left, where he emerged from the trees.

"Kakashi! Congratulations!" He clapped a hand onto my shoulder. I shook it off.

"Thanks. You guys are early."

"Well, we thought we could get a head start but still have time for presents," Rin explained and sensei nodded.

I rolled my eyes. "What kind of fantasy world do you live in where Obito comes to meetings _early_, let alone on time?"

Sensei and Rin exchanged glances. "Um, y'know, we told him to come early. He knows why."

"Yeah, that's gonna make a difference."

They both groaned and we sat in silence for about a half hour. Then we heard some noise in the trees.

_That's him, _I thought, and stood up to cut him off. Obito hurtled into me and collapsed onto the ground in front of me. I bent over him. "Obito."

He glared up at me. "What?"

"You're LATE."

"And?" He stood up so that he was towering over me. "Why do you care?"

"Because it's against the rules."

"I don't care about your stupid rules."

I balled my hands into fists. "You should. Bad things happen to people that don't obey the rules."

Before Obito could say anything back, Rin came between us. "Guys, come on. Don't fight! Today's a good day. We should be celebrating, not arguing."

"Fine, go ahead." He backed off and Rin and Sensei both gave me their presents.

We looked at Obito.

"What?"

"Where's my gift?" I asked.

He stared at me blankly. "What?"

"Where. Is. My. Gift?"

He looked at me with venom in his eyes. "Why in _hell_ would I give you a present?"

That startled me. I had never seen him so angry in the time since I met him. I kept my composure and didn't let my feelings show. "Because. I made an accomplishment."

"I don't care."

Those words sent a pang through me, coming from the only friend I had ever had.

That was when I realized that I had made a mistake when I had given that up.

Sensei stepped between us like Rin had before. "Kakashi, why don't we just get on our way? You're the mission leader, after all."

"Mhm," I spat through clenched teeth and turned my back to them, still feeling Obito's stare burning into my back.

"This looks like a good place to stop," I announced when we arrived in a clearing in the middle of the woods.

"Oh really?" Obito complained. "Then how come five minutes ago when I wanted to stop, we couldn't?"

"Because." I spun around and shoved him hard in the chest. "I said so."

"Oh yeah?" He came running towards me and tackled me onto the ground. He was about to hit me when I slapped him across the face.

"Obito!" Rin cried, and ran towards him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He growled.

"But-"

"I said I'm fine." He got up with tears in his eyes and looked at me for a while, searching my face for regret. When he couldn't find it, he turned and walked away. I stared towards him until he was gone. Then sensei came up behind me.

"Do you want to talk?"

"No." I was starting to crack. My emotions were starting to come through, for the first time in a long time, there were tears in my eyes. I got up and started to walk in the opposite direction of Obito.

"Kakashi!" Rin called after me. "Kakashi, let me help you!"

"No!" I cried, and started to run. "I want to be alone! Just let me be alone!" _Please_, I thought. _For once. Just let me be alone! Let me deal with things my own way! If I want help, I'll ask for it. Please…_

"Kakashi, catch!" Obito threw a ball high up into the air. I ran up a tree and jumped off, catching it and throwing it back before I hit the ground again. He did a back flip and caught in between his feet, landing in a handstand.

_"Nice!" I laughed, and ran over to him. He dropped the ball and switched back to standing upright. I high fived him._

_"So, you wanna go eat?" He asked._

_"Well you can. I've got a mission in an hour."_

_"Ah, you're no fun." He punched me lightly in the arm. "You ninjas are so serious."_

_"No, you're not." I rolled my eyes. "Or are you saying that you're gonna change your personality."_

_"I'm not a ninja yet."_

_"Yes you are."_

_"No, I'm not." He sighed and made a face. "I'm not done at the academy yet."_

_"Yeah, well, don't worry. You will be soon. You'll catch up to me. Eventually." We both laughed and I shoved him playfully._

_"Right. You've been a chunin since you were seven! You graduated the academy when you were four!" I could tell he wasn't actually mad._

_"Obito Uchiha, are you jealous?" I exclaimed in a mock tone._

_"Well… yes," he admitted._

_"Wait." I stopped. "Are you serious?"_

_"Yeah." He looked me in the eyes. "We're rivals. But I know I'll never win. I'll never get ahead. Kakashi, you've got more talent in your elbow then most of these people do in their whole bodies. I'll probably always be jealous of you."_

I woke up to see Rin, sensei, and Obito all huddled together in a corner of the clearing.

The sound of Obito's sobs haunted me for the rest of my life.

I had caused his tears.


	6. Leader

I couldn't sleep that night.

Or the night after.

So I was hoping for an easy day. But there's no such thing as an easy day when you're a ninja.

"Kakashi, pay attention. Today you need to be alert," Sensei scolded me.

I could see Obito looking at me out of the corner of his eyes, wearing an expression I couldn't discern. I just knew it wasn't anger, for a change.

"What? What's going on?" I turned my attention to sensei.

"You're going to be the squad leader today."

I stared at him and just nodded. Rin smiled at me in encouragement.

Again, I looked at Obito, who turned to me and managed half a smile. "What? You scared?" From those words alone, I could finally see that he hadn't completely given up on me. There was still a remnant of the friend who'd teased me incessantly for anything and everything I did. Our friendship was still alive, after all.

"Maybe," I chuckled in delight at my realization.

Rin gave me a look like I was crazy for laughing at a time like this.

"You guys, you need to hurry up and get going," Sensei interrupted.

I nodded. "I'm ready when you two are."

Rin and Obito stood up.

"And Kakashi, just remember that the rules aren't everything."

"Of course, Sensei." I remembered. I just didn't believe it.

"Wait," I hissed, stopping Obito and Rin in their tracks.

"Great," Obito muttered. "I didn't think we'd have to fight anyone today,"

"Yeah, me neither," I admitted.

"Do they know we're here?" Rin sounded nervous.

"Not yet, but we better make the first move before they figure out."

Obito came up next to me. "Where? I'll take 'em out."

I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing.

Obito nodded when I silently motioned towards the top of a faraway tree.

"Watch out. They see us now." I warned him when he started making hand signs.

As soon as they jumped towards us, a huge fireball erupted out of Obito's mouth. I was suddenly struck by how stupid these ninjas were. They actually jumped into the attack. At least, almost all of them.

"Two got away!" I yelled at Rin. "Watch out!"

I jumped up in time to intercept one's attack. They twisted to get away from me, and that's when I landed a kick on the back of their head.

"Kakashi!"

I landed on my feet, spun around, and saw Obito, kneeling on the ground, and the other enemy holding Rin, who was out cold. Without a word, he turned with an evil grin on his face and ran away.

"No!" I screamed. "Give her back! Come back! Come back…" I sighed and dropped down onto the ground.

"Kakashi, what happened?" Obito asked.

"I dunno, maybe if you weren't just sitting there, Rin would still be here!" I snapped.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know! Why weren't you helping her? You were just kneeling there, taking a break!"

"I- I…" He looked at me with a hurt expression on his face. "Let's just go after them."

"NO!" I exploded. "WE CANNOT ABANDON THE MISSION!"

"What's wrong with you?! This is Rin we're talking about! RIN! Don't you get it? Rin is our FRIEND! Oh, wait, I forgot that friends don't MATTER to you anymore!" Ouch.

"You don't understand! Obito, you think I want Rin to die?! I don't! But sometimes you have to think about the consequences! And you have no idea what life would be like if we abandoned the mission to save her! I DO!" Still, for some reason, my words wouldn't register with him.  
"Kakashi. Listen to me. I know what happened to your dad. And he was punished for doing the right thing." His eyes were soft. "And that's why I have to go get Rin."

"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU THINK I WANT THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO HIM HAPPEN TO YOU?!" I hoped this would get through his thick skull, get him to believe that he wasn't doing the right thing.

He turned around so his back was facing me. "Would your dad really want you to do what you're doing right now?" Then, he was gone.

I knew the answer to that question.

So I turned.

Sighed.

And walked in the opposite direction.


	7. The Real Me

A/N: This is a really short chapter. The next one will be, too. I can't really say why. Just… you'll see why. Just hang on! We're almost at the end!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_Can you see the real me?_

_Can ya?_

_Can ya?!_

_-The Who, "The Real Me"_

___________________________________________________________________________________

I spent the next five minutes trying to get Obito's words out of my head. He was right. I knew what my dad would think of me after this.

He would be ashamed of me, possibly the same way I had felt about him after he had saved his friends. Of course, he would never have put me through what I had done to him. He would never hurt me like that.

It was then that I realized that there was a very low chance of me ever seeing my best friend again. There was absolutely no way that Obito would be able to go up against multiple enemies and win. It was possible he could escape, but he wouldn't leave Rin. He couldn't.

"What've I done?" I moaned, and sank down onto my knees, burying my face in my hands. "Oh, what do I do? Dad, I'm sorry… what did I do?" I didn't even feel like me. But what was the real me? The Kakashi that had turned on his father and best friend to protect himself? Or the Kakashi that would do anything for them, no matter what the consequences? I didn't even know anymore. Half of me wanted to go and save Obito and Rin, but the other half knew that nothing good could come of that.

"DAMN IT!" I screamed, just wanting all of it to go away. I wished I had never been promoted. I wished I had never been so much like Dad. I wouldn't have been in that situation. "Why can't I do anything right? Mom's gonna be so mad…" Mom. Throughout everything that had happened since I was seven years old, she had always supported me. Never given up in me. How would she feel when she saw how much I had hurt the person I cared about most in the world again? First Dad, now Obito. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be.

I was a screw up, and it was no one's fault but my own.

_Who do I save, myself or my friends? I can't do this. I can't decide. It's too hard. I want both. Why can't I figure this out? I'm such an idiot. I don't even know what I'm really like. How? Why? _I racked my brain looking for the answers to my questions and came up with nothing.

"Oh, god, what do I do?"


	8. Frozen

[OBITO'S POV]

I sat on a tree branch, watching the enemies. I couldn't see Rin, but I knew she was there. There were two of them, and they were so huge and muscular, that I couldn't help being a little freaked out.

_C'mon, go get 'em. You can do it, _I thought. But I was frozen in place. No matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn't make the easy jump that would get me face to face with them. _Just do it for Rin. That's why you're here, isn't it? _And it was. But there was something holding me back, as always. I had no idea what, I never did. It had nearly gotten me killed so many times, except Kakashi had always been there to save me.

Ah, Kakashi. That name sent a pang through me. He had given up on me so easily, that he must have never really been my friend.

Of course, I didn't always think that. My theories about what had happened rotated, depending on the way he acted towards me. For most of yesterday, I had thought that he still cared about me.

Until he abandoned Rin and I.

That's when I'd realized that he cared about himself more than anyone else. He was so different than he was two years ago.

I started to cry then, because my friend was dead.

That's when the enemies saw me. One of them ran and then jumped up towards me, and I was only about five feet away from a very possible death.


	9. Changed

[KAKASHI'S POV]

"Kakashi?!" I heard Obito cry when I slashed the man who was just about to kill him over the shoulder with my father's sword, sending him flying down to the ground.

"You okay?" I asked when the enemy was out of sight. When I didn't hear a reply, I slowly turned around to see that there were tears in his eyes, despite his goggles. "Obito…" He only smiled at me and shook his head, signaling that he was fine.

"Kakashi, thank you." Obito's voice was shaky.

"No problem," I muttered. "I - I'm sorry about before. I was stupid. Really stupid."

He held up a hand for me to stop. "It's fine."

"No. It's not. I was a complete jerk to you. You've been… well…" I was starting to tear up too, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn't afraid to show it. "You've been my-"

"Kakashi, behind you!" Obito suddenly yelled.

I whirled around and saw the same ninja that I had just hit climbing up to the branch Obito and I were standing on.

"You," he growled when he got to his feet and pointed at me. "You're Sakumo, aren't you?" When I heard his name, I looked down at the ground and tightened my fist around his sword. Obito sucked in a breath, anticipating an outburst from me. I think we both ended up surprised at what happened next.

I looked up at the man, my tears flowing freely then. "No," I stated. "I'm his son. And I'm not even close to the amazing man he was. And I never will be."

"Well," the man laughed. "I guess there's nothing to worry about." He started towards me, then paused. "By the way. Your dad wasn't so great a person. I've heard rumors about what he did. Breaking the rules doesn't make you a good person. Especially when you're a shinobi." He pulled his lips back into a toothy grin. "Oh, and look, you're crying. Like father, like son, eh?"

I was so angry with this guy. This stupid bastard thought that he could just go and make fun of my dad? Who the hell did he think he was?! I didn't give a damn if he wanted to make fun of me. I was a jerk. I deserved it. But he didn't even know my dad, he didn't even know the real story! He was judging him on a rumor!

That's when I thought about what I was thinking.

This man, who had never even known my dad (let alone care about him,) thought the same of my father as I had up until about ten minutes ago.

"Kakashi?"

"Huh?" I snapped backs into the real world when I heard Obito's voice. Then I saw his eyes. "Whoa! How did that happen?!"

"What this?" Obito gestured to his new sharingan and grinned. "You zoned out long enough for that guy to almost get you."

"What? Where is he?"

"Jeez, have some faith in me. I got 'im. He's not coming back." He continued to smile, despite the not-so-great situation we were in.

I stared at him. In the short time that I had been able to change myself, Obito had apparently been able to change himself as well. The wimp was gone, and in his place was a confident and strong ninja. "Good job," I muttered.

"Hey, c'mon. We've gotta go get Rin. Or did you forget why we're here?"

I smiled, wiped my tears, and nodded. "Let's go," I agreed. "Where is she?"

Obito gestured for me to follow him into the scrub beneath the tree, where we could see another enemy shinobi guarding Rin, who was tied to another tree. "How do you think we should do this?"

"Depends. Do you think you can take him?"

Obito rolled his eyes. "Of course. I could get him with my pinkie."  
"Obito, he's freakin' huge. Not even I could get him with one finger. I'd need to use two."

"Well don't _we_ think a lot of ourself," he joked. "Oh, I have an idea."

"Okay, well what-"

"HEY!" Obito jumped up and screamed. The guy turned around. "MEATHEAD! C'MERE!"

"Are you stupid?!" I hissed.

Obito looked down at me with a silly grin plastered on his face. "Yes," he said cheerfully. "Very."

I sighed and smiled underneath my mask.

Obito could try, but he couldn't change himself completely. He'd always be the bumbling idiot of a best friend that I'd had when we were kids. Twenty years from then, he'd be the same. Or so I hoped.


	10. Always Get Back Up

"HEY!" Obito yelled again when the guy didn't react. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FREAK?! COME OVER HERE, I'LL BASH YOUR HEAD IN!" He started walking towards us and Obito whispred, "Kakashi, go get Rin. I'll take care of him."

"You sure?"

"Just go, you stupid piece of crap!"

I groaned. "Fine. Be like that. If you die, it's not my fault." I then silently snuck around the bushes, and jogged over to the tree that Rin was tied to. She seemed to just be unconscious. I grabbed her shoulders and shook them vigorously. "Rin. Rin, wake up!"

"Hm?" She muttered, and her eyelids fluttered open. "Kakashi? What's going on?"

"Me and Obito came to rescue you." I pulled out a kunai and cut the ropes holding Rin to the tree.

"Obito? But he's-"

"Hey, guys." Almost on cue, he came trotted up behind me. "So Rin, ready to go?"

"Yeah." She stood up and stretched, then looked at Obito incredulously. "Obito! Your eyes!"

"Isn't it cool? I can now confirm that Kakashi has barely any chakra at all." He slapped me on the shoulder.

"We should get going," I muttered. "C'mon."

"Whatever you say, oh great and powerful leader," Obito laughed. Rin just smiled, clearly relieved that the tension between Obito and I was gone.

"Shut up." I headed back towards the large group of trees where I had come from. We ran then, hoping to make up for the time we lost when Rin was kidnapped. Soon, we reached a gorge. "Alright, we have to cross through here. Be careful, this place could be crawling with enemies."

Rin nodded and Obito sighed. "You're so paranoid."

"No I'm not. I'm actually just trying to save our butts." The three of us dropped into the chasm and listened for any sign of enemy activity. "Okay. Go slowly. I think it's clear, but…" We ambled slowly across the length of the gorge until I heard something. "Stop," I murmured, and started to make hand signs.

"Kakashi, what are you doing?" Rin asked.

"This guy's not a pushover. I can feel it." I grabbed my wrist, closed my eyes, and focused.

"Whoa. Just whoa," Obito gasped.

I opened my eyes and looked down at my hand, crackling with lightning-like chakra.

Chidori. My own jutsu.

"Kakashi, in front of you!"

I looked up to see an enemy ninja running towards me, winding up for a punch. I just smirked and ran at him as well. When he stuck his fist out, I ducked the punch and thrust my hand out, into his stomach. But it didn't connect. He hopped up and kicked me in the back, which sent my face right into the dirt and extinguished the Chidori. "Jeez," I growled, climbed to my feet, and spun around. Obito was attempting to fight off the man while Rin rushed over to me.

"Are you okay?!" She cried.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, and hurried over to help Obito. I pulled out my father's sword and slashed the foe across his back.

"ARGH!" he yelled, and fell into a heap on the ground. Obito gave me a thankful look.

"Thanks," he sighed tiredly.

"No problem. Rin!" I called over to her. "Let's move while he's down!" We started towards the other side of the gorge again, this time at a sprint.

"No you don't!" shouted the enemy as he regained his stability. Out of nowhere, he reappeared in front of us with a knife in his hand, then brought it down across my face.

"AUGH!" I shrieked when I felt it slice through my left eye.

"Kakashi!" My teammates cried. "Are you okay?!"

"Y-yeah, I g-g-guess." I shuddered. "I- I can't see out of it anymore."

"You!" Obito screamed and grabbed the kunai out of the enemy's hand, stabbing it into his chest. Again, he fell to the ground.

"Obito," Rin whispered. "I can't believe you…"

"Yeah. I was mad."

"Good job," I congratulated him.

"Let's go. Who knows if he's actually dead." Obito taking leadership? He really had changed. Only a few seconds later, the walls of the gorge started to shake, and pieces of rock started to fall. Apparently, someone was watching us.

"RUN!" I yelled.

We dashed across the gorge as fast as we could. All of a sudden, a small piece of rock hit me on the left side of my head. _Great,_ I thought. _I guess that'll be happening a lot. _I collapsed helplessly as a huge boulder came down towards me. _I guess… I guess this is it…_

Then I woke up, unharmed and still alive. Rin was standing in fron of me with tears streaming down her face. "What?" I asked. She shook her head and continued looking past me. _Oh no, _I thought. _Please, please don't let it be what I think._ I stood up, shaking, turned around and wanted to die when I saw I was right.

In my place under the boulder was my best friend.


	11. Let Your Tears Flow, Let Your Past Go

For a second, I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, and couldn't speak. When I woke up, I felt like I was going to explode.

"NO!" I screamed, ran to where Obito was being slowly crushed to death, and beat the boulder as hard as I could. It barely had any affect. "OBITO!"

"Kakashi," Obito whispered hoarsely, "stop."

"NO!" I screamed again, and beat it harder. My fists were starting to bleed, but I didn't care. "YOU SHUT UP!"

"Kakashi, please. I… I need to talk to you. Before…" He trailed off, and I buckled down to my knees and started to bawl. Obito's face was covered in blood and tears were streaming down his face, but he was still smiling, and it was clear he was experiencing excruciating pain. His smile, the smile that seemed to be there whenever he should be should've been frowning or crying.

"No… no… this isn't happening… it's a dream, I know it is," I sobbed.

"I wish you were right. But Kakashi, this is very real." Obito's smile wavered for a minute, and I wished it would go away. Yet it still remained, even when he uttered the words, "Kakashi, I really am going to die." I heard a squeak from Rin, who was somewhere behind me.

"No you're not. I'll help you. I'll get you out of here."

"You can't, and you shouldn't waste your energy on me. You've done enough of that already."

"NO!" I roared again. "SHUT UP! WHY DON'T YOU SEE THAT I OWE IT TO YOU! I SHOULD BE THE ONE DYING RIGHT NOW! I DESERVE IT, I… I deserve it…" Then I couldn't help it, and started to cry even harder than before.

"Best friends have to make sacrifices to save each other. You did that for me, and now we're even. You don't deserve this." This actually registered with me.

"When did I sacrifice anything for you? I was a crap friend this whole time. Even though you…" I paused to try and not have a mental breakdown. "You took the place of my dad when he died."

Obito made a noise that sounded slightly like a laugh. "Really? I've been a dad?"  
I shook my head, unable to smile. "No. You were the person that supported me. Just like dad, you still believed in me and cared about me even when you had thought that I stopped believing in and caring about you."

Obito's face contorted and lost the familiar grin that had managed to survive for so long. "You think that I thought you stopped caring about me?"

"Of course. What else were you supposed to think?"

"That you were scared, confused, and trying to protect me." His lower lip quivered a little bit. "I never would have thought that you stopped caring…"

"Obito, I can't go back home," I said suddenly. "I can't show Mom and the hokage and everyone else that I failed…"

"But you still have time to complete the mission."

"I don't care about the mission now. All I care about is that I failed you and I failed Dad. I was a bad leader, and everyone's gonna know it."

"If you were a bad leader, you would have left both Rin and I for dead. You didn't. You're more like your father than you think."

"Don't do this!" My tears started coming quicker again. "Don't tell me this just because you want to make me feel better! You're dying, my best friend is dying, and you just want me to go on my merry way?! I already saw one death and didn't do anything about it! I can't let the most important person in my life die again!"

"You can. You will. And I'm gonna make sure that I'm not completely gone from your life."

"What?"

"Take my sharingan."


	12. My Brother

"What?" I stared straight into Obito's face. He had to be kidding.

"Take it. My sharingan."

"Stop it," I whispered. "I can't… why would I anyway?"

Obito smiled that idiotic smile again. "I owe you a present. For becoming a jounin…"

"You saved my life. Isn't that enough?"

"No. It's not." His voice was hard and sharp, and I had to take him seriously. "Listen to me."

"I can't, Obito, I can't!" pounded my fist on the ground like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum and cried, "I can't! I can't!"

"Kakashi," Rin whimpered. She was suddenly right next to me. "I- I think you should listen to what he has to say. I can feel it, he won't be here much longer…" She gave another squeak and started crying again. "Oh, Obito!"

"Fine," I muttered. "I'll listen."

"Kakashi, I want you to take my sharingan," he repeated. "I wouldn't have gotten it in the first place if it wasn't for you. And you… if anyone deserves something like this, it's you."

I nodded and suppressed my protests. "Mhm."

"Besides, you're gonna be great someday… and I wanna be a part of that." I could see that the life was starting to fade from his face. "Kakashi, you've been like a brother to me for so long… I hope you've felt the same way about me."

I nodded again. "I told how much you've meant to me… you've been my brother, too." my throat was burning.

"And Rin…" Obito turned his attention to her, and I knew what he wanted to say.

"Yeah?" She was trembling furiously.

"I… I'll miss you." That was all. Even though he'd never have the opportunity again, he couldn't tell her how much he liked her.

"I'll miss you too!"

"Kakashi, before we do this, promise me…"

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't feel guilty about this."

"I-" My voice caught. I knew I would. I knew that this, along with the death of my father, would haunt me for the rest of my life. "I'll try." I would. I would fail, but I _would_ try.

Obito smiled. "That's all I want." He paused. "Rin, do it now. Give Kakashi my gift…"

"O- okay." She moved close to him, and I could see Obito using his last sight to memorize her face. "Kakashi, come here…"

When I woke up, I thought that the transplant had failed. I was looking at Rin, but I could only see out of my right eye. But of course- I had my left eye closed. When I opened it, I was astonished to find that I could see Rin's chakra swirling through her body. But that didn't distract me for long.

"Obito," I gasped. "Is he okay?!"

"I'm fine."

I jumped up and whirled around. My best friend was still in the same place where I'd left him. "Obito, this is… I didn't deserve this."

"You did."

Then, out of nowhere, came a crack from somewhere outside of the vicinity of the gorge. Apparently, the backups had arrived.

"Obito!" Rin sobbed.

I stood frozen. This was the moment I had been dreading.

Leaving Obito for dead.

"Go." He demanded.

"Obito, I'm sorry," I choked out, and forced myself to turn around. "Rin, c'mon."

She was rooted to the spot.

"I see them!" Someone shouted, obviously an enemy.

"Rin," I begged. "Please, just c'mon!"

"Obito…" she muttered.

"Rin, go!"

"Rin!" I yelled. Rocks started falling again. "Please!" I grabbed her arm when she didn't respond, and yanked her along with me as I started to run.

"OBITO!" She shrieked, and I wanted to die. A boulder came towards us, and I had to jump, to pull her to safety. We landed on the cliff on the outside of the canyon. She was crying. I was numb.

My best friend, my partner in crime, my brother was dead.

That was the only thing I could think about.

And then everything went black.


	13. Angry

A/N: Sorry about not updating for a long time. I was busy with final exams and projects and all that awful end of year stuff. I've also had writer's block so this chapter isn't great. I'll probably rewrite it. And I promise, I'll update a lot more frequently now that school's over!

"…Kakashi, wake up. It's safe, c'mon…"

"Hn?" I opened my eyes to see Sensei sitting looking down at me. "What? What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno… I thought I was dead."

He gave me a funny look. "Why? You just passed out because you were so tired and stressed."

"Is Rin ok?" I sat up and rubbed my head.

"She's fine."

"Really? Then… then was it all a dream?" I started to get excited. I'd passed out because I was stressed about being the leader and just had a nightmare about what I was afraid would happen! "So… Obito's ok! He's alive! Where is he, I need to talk to him!"

Sensei looked away, and my heart sank. He didn't need to say anything.

The look on his face was enough to tell me the truth.

"No… it's not true. He's alive, he hates me, he thinks I'm worthless…"But it was too late. The illusion had been shattered. I wasn't even talking about Obito anymore. I was saying what I felt about myself. "Sensei, how did I let this happen?"

"Don't worry about it." He was emotionless.

"Whaddya mean, don't worry about it? How can I not?! My best friend just died, because of ME!" Anger rose up in my chest and caused my eye and Obito's eye to burn and fill up with tears.

"There's no point in blaming yourself. You'll cause yourself more stress than it's worth…"

"What?!" I stood up and glared at the back of his head. "You think he's worth _nothing_?! He was your student! He looked up to you!"

"Kakashi, calm down. I didn't mean it like that." Sensei still wouldn't look at me.

"No! I won't calm down!" The tears started flowing freely again. I was so sick of crying and I had never been so angry in my life. Angry at him, angry at Rin, angry at Mom, angry at Obito, angry at Dad, and angry at myself. "Do you understand how much he meant to me?! He's the only person that's ever known me only as Kakashi, not as Sakumo's kid! We were like brothers! He was always there for me! And I threw it away!" I was repeating everything I'd said that day for what seemed like the millionth time. "I threw it away because I'm selfish and I'm a jerk and I didn't ever even deserve a friend like Obito in the first place! Why don't you understand? I don't get it. You're the one always telling us how important teamwork is, and how your teammates are important, so why aren't you reacting?"

"I cried when Rin told me. You can ask her." He finally turned back around and gave me a miserable look. "I… I'm scared for you. That's why I don't want you to make a big deal out of this."

"You're _scared_ for me?" I asked unbelievingly. "For what reason?"

"I don't want the same thing to you that happened to your dad. I don't think you'd be able to handle it and I don't think your mom would be able to handle it."

"But we can still complete the mission. Stop making excuses. There's no reason I'd be disgraced like that if we-"

"You put your friends above the mission. That's all it takes. If word gets out-"

"Let it out." I wiped my eyes with my sleeves. "I don't care. They're expecting it, little Kakashi following in his father's footsteps. Go ahead and tell them. I want everyone to know that I'm not ashamed in him anymore."

"That's not it. You have so much potential, Kakashi. You can be just as great and powerful as your father…"

"I don't wanna be."

"What?" Sensei looked astonished. "But you just said that you're not ashamed."

"If I got that strong, the village would be depending on me a lot. I'm not responsible enough and I don't want the pressure. I just wanna be me," I said firmly.

"Kakashi…" He looked surprised. Maybe disappointed.

"Where's Rin?"

He pointed in one direction. "She went that way."

"OK." I started in that direction.

"Kakashi," Sensei called after me. I looked back at him. "I'm sorry." I just shook my head and started walking again.

I didn't necessarily need to talk to Rin that very moment. In fact, I didn't really want to. But Obito did.

A/N: Yeah. I'm probably gonna rewrite this after I finish the story.


	14. Home

"Hi."

Rin looked up at me. Even in the dark, I could see that she had been crying. "Hi."

"So… I guess you've been thinking about Obito." Immediately after the words left my mouth I regretted saying anything. Rin started shaking and turned away from me. _Ah great,_ I thought. _I made her cry already._

"Mhm."

" Um, I just wanted to clear something up about him. And you." She didn't respond. "Okay, I'll make this quick." I took a deep breath. "Obito… well… he, um, he… cared about you more than you think. He, uh, he loved you. And he wanted to tell you at the… well, at the end but he couldn't."

"Oh," she whimpered. "Oh."

"So that's it. I… never mind. see ya." I was confused and extremely tired. All I wanted was to be able to go home.

2 DAYS LATER

"Finally," I sighed when Konoha finally came into view.

The mission had ended up being successful after all. Rin and Sensei had left me alone for the majority of the time, and I was starting to just barely get a grip on what had happened.

"Kakashi?" Rin asked. "Do you want me or sensei to tell Obito's parents?"  
"I wanna do it." I'd decided on the long walk back home that it was my responsibility to tell his family.

I just didn't know how.

But at the moment, that didn't matter, and I set it out of my mind. I'd deal with it later. What mattered at the moment was telling Mom about everything that I'd realized about Dad, Obito, and myself.

"Are you sure? I don't know if-"

"Rin, I said I want to do it. Just trust me."

"Okay." She didn't sound convinced. "Sorry."

We continued on silently. After a while, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Guys, I'm going ahead. This is taking way too long," I said.

"No. Kakashi, I told you a couple of days ago-"

"Look, nothing's gonna happen, okay?! All I'm gonna do is go home to my Mom and cry! Is my presence gonna cause a scandal? I don't think so! And I told you that I don't give a crap if everyone does find out!" I glared at Rin and Sensei, and then shook my head at them. "Look, I can't feel any worse than I do now. So calm down. I'll be fine." Before they could try to change my mind or convince me otherwise, I took off, running faster than I'd run in days, back home. After reaching the village, I slowed to a jog. It only took about five minutes to reach our apartment building. I rushed to the third floor and wrenched open the door. Mom was standing in the kitchen washing dishes when she turned and saw me.

"Kakashi!" She cried and her face brightened immediately. "You're home!"

"Yeah." I pulled down my mask. She grimaced. "What is it?"

"Your face is all bloody. And why are you wearing your headband like that?"

"Mom, it's Obito. He's…"

She hurried over to me and I collapsed into her, sobbing.

"Oh, Kakashi, I'm so sorry," she whispered. When I started to calm down, she asked, "But what does that have to do with your headband?"

"It's his eye. He gave me his sharingan."

"What? No."  
I just sniffed, pulled away, and pulled my headband up.

She gasped. "Oh! So you can actually use it?"

"Yeah. That was kind of the point."

"Right. Wow. I can't believe this."

"It was my fault. Mom, I was the one that was supposed to die. He saved me." I started to cry again.

"Honey, I'm sure it's not your fault…"

"And then I went and did the exact thing that Dad did, and you know what? I finally realized that he was an amazing person and I was wrong, I was so wrong… I miss him so much; I wish I could tell him how much I love him and how much he means to me and how I've always loved him and he's always been my idol and I'm so sorry!" There. I spewed out everything I'd wanted to tell her, all in one sentence.

"I know, I know…"

"And now I've got Sensei telling me about how I'm gonna be just like Dad and just as strong and just as perfect when I grow up and that everyone's gonna be mad at me now because of what happened to Obito! Even though we finished the mission!" I couldn't stop talking. "I don't understand why this is happening!"

"It's okay, no one will be mad…"

"And I have to tell Obito's parents what happened."

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said.

"Why doesn't anyone think so?" I groaned.

"Kakashi, I don't think you could handle it."

"But I will. I was his best friend. Besides, I feel like it's my responsibility seeing as it's my fault their son is dead."

"Fine. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise you won't tell them it was your fault."

"Why?"

"I don't want them to hate you," she sighed. "I don't think they would, but "still… I think you're confused and you want an explanation, so you blame yourself. Like when your dad died. You blamed yourself and was it actually your fault?"  
"No," I admitted. "But I'm sure this time."

"Okay. Fine. Just please, _please_, don't tell them."

"Alright," I sighed. "I won't, I promise."

"Good." She smiled. "Now go take a shower."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes you do. You're all gross and dirty."

"Okay, okay, I will." I went into the bathroom, smiling. No matter how depressed, tired, stressed, or confused I was, it was still nice to be home.


	15. I Won't Watch it Happen to You too

A/N: Don't kill me if it's not great. Writer's block sucks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At ten o'clock the next morning, I was standing in front of Obito's parents' door. I'd been standing there for at least twenty minutes, trying to prepare myself for what was about to happen.

_C'mon, just do it,_ I thought. _Knock . Be a man._

But I didn't really want to be a man. Not at the moment, anyway. But I took a deep breath and lightly rapped my fist on the door. I was surprised when Obito's aunt answered.

"Hi," I said in a shaky voice. "Can I come in?"

"Hold on…" She stared at me for a few seconds before realizing who I was. "Oh, you're Sakumo's son, right? Obito's friend?"

"That's me."

"Come in."  
"Thanks." I passed her into the living room where Obito's parents and uncle were sitting. The second Obito's mother saw me she burst into tears.

"What?" Her husband put an arm around her. "I don't understand. What happened?"

"It's Obito, isn't it?" She asked me. I couldn't speak and merely nodded. Obito's father looked back and forth from her to me and back again, like he couldn't comprehend what had happened, then wrapped his arms around his sobbing wife with a disbelieving expression on his face.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "You have no idea how bad I feel." There was a huge lump in my throat and an overwhelming sense of guilt that came over me.

Obito's aunt shook her head and exited the room.

I just stood there, watching what was happening in front of me. I didn't know what to do.

"I'm just going to… um… leave," I said weakly. "I'm really sorry. Really." I turned and walked out the door, leaving behind my best friend's two heartbroken parents.

THREE MONTHS LATER

"Kakashi Hatake! You get up and go do something or I will kick you out!"

"Kick me out as in I can't live here anymore? You wouldn't do that. Besides, doing nothing is doing something." Mom scowled at me from my bedroom doorway.

"When and how did you turn into a normal teenager? Go back to being a middle aged man."

I glanced around my room. It was as clean as ever, if not cleaner. My pictures were in order, my desk was organized, all of my clothes were put away, and my garbage can was empty. That wasn't a normal teenage environment. When I tried to bring that fact to Mom's attention, she bit her lip.

"Well you'll never be completely normal."

"Thank you."

"You know what I meant. But please go do something. Please? For me?"

"No."

"Kakashi!" She stomped over to my bed. "Get up! Now!"

"No! I'm tired!"

"You're not tired! What're you talking about?"

"Why're you freaking out about this? Calm down!"

"No! You haven't done anything since Obito died. All you do is sit in your room all day!"

"I go on missions all the time!" I yelled. "I work, I come home and rest, and I go work again! Normal!"

"You refuse to be a part of your team anymore! Minato told me he's worried about you!" She yelled back.

"So what?"

"And you're completely different! I don't know who you are anymore!"

"You're wrong! I'm exactly the same!"

"When did we ever fight? We can't stop fighting now!" Her face was turning red. "You need to get over whatever is going on with you! You are not going to end up like your father!"

"That's what this is about?!" I started shaking. "That's all? You think I want to kill myself?!"

"Maybe!"

"You overreact to everything! I'm a little depressed, so I want to kill myself? Huh! Interesting!"

"A little depressed? A _little_? You cry constantly! You haven't smiled in months!"

"Who cares?! Do _you_ know what it's like to lose your best friend?! Did you watch your best friend die and you couldn't do anything to save them?!"

She stiffened. "Yes. I do know what that's like. And I'm not going to watch it happen to you." She sighed, walked out of my room, and then came back in. "Minato also told me to give you this." She threw something on my bed and left.

I picked it up. Obito's goggles.

I sat staring at them for a long time, then stood up and went to find Mom.

"What?" she asked exasperatedly when she saw me.

"I'm going out."

"Huh? What?" Mom looked like she had no idea what I'd just said.

"I'm going out."

"Oh. Okay. When will you be home?" All of a sudden she was smiling and I had to smile too.

"I dunno."

"Be back by six," she called as I started outside.

"Okay," I called back. _Hm,_ I thought. _I wonder if Rin hates me now… may as well find out._


	16. SUPER SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

NO MORE SMASH THE MIRROR UNTIL MY WRITER'S BLOCK LEAVES.

Yup. Sorry guys, I just can't come up with anything good for this specific story.

I appreciate and love all you guys who have reviewed, favorited, etc. the story. It's my first fanfic ever and I'm glad you guys like it. Sorry to all of you who I am disappointing with this news, I'd just rather wait and come up with something good than post mediocre crap.

I'll be back eventually, I promise!

I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!


End file.
